Vildan Drpljanin is an Attorney at Law, specializing in international law, labour relations, human rights, asylum, and statelessness. In his current role, he has led high-impact protection interventions, including resolving legacy statelessness cases following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, reducing immigration detention of asylum seekers, and securing durable solutions for long-standing refugee situations. He also serves as a focal point for statelessness and has contributed to legislative reform across multiple sectors.
He holds an LL.B. from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, an LL.M. in Public International Law from Utrecht University (cum laude), and a double-degree LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Strasbourg. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Law, focusing on corporate governance and employee participation in comparative perspective.
Prior to his current role, Drpljanin served as Protection Associate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and worked for the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in North Macedonia, where he provided legal aid, led strategic litigation, and contributed to legislative reform processes, including labour law and criminal law amendments. He also held senior leadership roles in civil society, including as Executive Board Member of the Youth Educational Forum, overseeing organizational governance and project implementation.
Drpljanin has authored over thirty academic and policy publications on corporate governance, labour rights, and human rights. He is a UNHCR Innovation Fellow and a member of several professional networks, including the Bar Association of North Macedonia and the OSCE/ODIHR EStAR Network. He works in multiple languages and is currently located in Florence, Italy.